Cancún's Signature Dive
Cancún's Underwater Museum, founded in 2009 and commonly referred to as “Musa”, is a collection of more than 500 underwater sculptors with approximately 410 of them being located off the south side of Isla Mujeres with the remainder being split between into two separate areas near El Meco Reef and Punta Nizuc Reef which are north and south, respectively, of the Hotel Zone.
The sculptures at Musa range in size and subject matter with some such as “The Silent Evolution” and “The Man on Fire” exploring the human figure while others such as “Anthropocene” and “Urban Reef” are a comments on our relationship with nature. Further still, we also have more contemporary pieces which are open to the viewers interpretation.
The Underwater Museum of Art isn't only an artistic vision but also a ground breaking conservation project which provides a new habitat for marine life. Barracuda, turtles, lobsters and octopus can often be found in the nooks and crannies the artists specifically built into their pieces. This conjoining of art and nature offers divers to a unique opportunity for divers to experience both art and the ocean in a whole new way while also learning about the importance of conservation.
The statues themselves were constructed using marine grade, pH-neutral cement which promotes coral growth. It was the British sculptor, Jason deCaires Taylor, hope that these corals would in turn bring a variety of animal life to this otherwise barren stretch of ocean floor – and so far, its working!
All three locations are located in the Cancún and Isla Mujeres Marine Park which is visited by more than 750,000 tourists each year. This makes it one of the most visited stretches of water in the world. This sadly placed significant pressure on the reefs found in the park however, and so the sculptures have been strategically placed near some of the busier and fragile reef systems to draw visitors away to more resilient stretches of the ocean.
The gallery near the island, named Salon Manchones in reference to a nearby reef, is approximately 30ft or 9m deep and is perfectly situated near the Island of Isla Mujeres so that divers and snorkelers won't need to fight against strong currents whilst visiting this stretch of water. This makes it a perfect option for newly certified divers and non-certified divers who wish to have their first underwater adventure with Cthulhu Divers via our PADI Discover Scuba Diving Program. The Salon Meco and Salon Nizuc galleries have a max depth of 13ft or 4m and can also be visited on a number variety of our snorkel tours.
In conclusion, the Underwater Museum of Art in Cancun offers a unique way to explore both thought-provoking art and the beautiful marine life of the Caribbean. It's a great destination for those who are interested in both and also for adventurist tourists who are looking experience on of Cancún's must-see locations. Furthermore, a visit to these sculptures in not only beautiful experience which will remain in your memory for years to come but is also a fantastic way to help fund an important conservation project which, in turn, will ensure that the biodiversity of the Caribbean Sea is preserved for future generations to enjoy.
